2) You have a new novella, The Last Verdict, that has just been published? What is your elevator speech?

“The Last Verdict” is the story of two mothers whose lives collide through a brutal murder – the mother of the murdered daughter and the mother of the man condemned to die for the crime.

3) What’s behind the book that is not easily captured in a quick elevator speech?

Behind the compelling murder mystery novel is the story of real people who have changed my life. Three years ago, the state of Mississippi executed my friend, Matt. Matt and I had been corresponding for some time when his execution took place, sharing a passion for true justice, a deep faith in Christ and a longing to see the death penalty ended. Before he died, Matt asked me to use my skills as a writer to that end. This book is the first step in keeping that promise that I made him.

I wrote “The Last Verdict” in an attempt to humanize the issue of capital punishment in the same way that Matt’s friendship humanized it for me. Whether we support or oppose the death penalty, we all need to see the human dynamics – the real, personal stories of all those involved – and hopefully temper our ideology with a genuine love and compassion that does not deny justice, but that is not rooted in vengeance.

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Editor

Wayne Northey was Director of Man-to-Man/Woman-to-Woman – Restorative Christian Ministries (M2/W2) in British Columbia, Canada from 1998 to 2014, when he retired. He has been active in the criminal justice arena and a keen promoter of Restorative Justice since 1974. He has published widely on peacemaking and justice themes. You will find more about that on this website: a work in progress.
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